Clindamycin Hydrochloride: A Semisynthetic Lincosamide Antibiotic with Strong Activity against Anaerobic Bacteria
Clindamycin (7-chloro-lincomycin) hydrochloride is a semisynthetic lincosamide antibiotic derivative of lincomycin [
L0166] to replace the 7-hydroxy group with a chlorine atom with inversion of chirality. Clindamycin is usually more active than lincomycin, in particular against anaerobic bacteria. It has broad activity against anaerobic Gram-positive bacteria and anaerobic Gram-negative bacteria with a few exceptions, but less activity against most aerobic Gram-negative bacteria. Clindamycin is also effective in treating
Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Clindamycin interacts with the 50s subunit of bacterial ribosomes, and then it inhibits bacterial growth by inhibiting protein synthesis. Bacterial resistance to clindamycin and lincomycin may be caused by methylation of bacterial 23S ribosomal RNA. Clindamycin phosphate [
C2257] is a prodrug of clindamycin, and is designed as a highly water soluble form of the poorly water soluble parent compound clindamycin.